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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. swing — to play on
  9. toast — bread
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. tube — a container
  17. swing — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — in a race
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com